File cabinets



J. E. KNOX FILE CABINETS Oct. 9, 1956 Filed March 11, 1954 Om Ti :1 -1.

INVENTOR JOHN E. KNOX ATTOI'QNEY FILE CABINETS John E. Knox, Nyack, N. Y. Application March 11, 1954, Serial No. 415,571 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-330) This invention relates to file cabinets of letter or legal sizes. More particularly, the invention deals with the construction of the drawer fronts and casing fronts of files or cabinets of the character described to provide a more practical storage of letters, files or the like within the drawers and also to render the index card holders more readily readable on the drawer fronts by angular positioning of the same on said drawer fronts.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating parts of a group of cabinets, or files, made according to my invention and indicating one of the drawers in partially extended position; and

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view through a drawer front showing the same on an enlarged scale.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have indicated at a perspective view of one file cabinet and at 10'; 10" and 10 portions of three adjacent cabinets to illustrate arrangement of a series of similar cabinets one with respect to the other. As each cabinet is of the same construction, a brief description of one will apply to all. The cabinet 10 comprises an oblong rectangular casing 11, partitioned to form four vertically disposed drawer compartments, in which drawers 12 are slidably mounted. The general structure of the cabinet and the mounting of the drawers are not shown in detail, as this, in itself, forms no direct part of my present invention.

My present invention deals primarily in the structure or notches 15 and 16 therein which are adapted to register with corresponding grooves 17 formed in the drawer fronts 18, the front of one drawer 12 being shown in cross-section in Fig. 2 of the drawing to clearly illustrate the indenture or groove 17 in the outer surface thereof. The groove is defined by a downwardly and inwardly extending wall portion 19 joining an outwardly and downwardly extending wall portion 20 in an intermediate projection 21 which forms, within the drawer, a transverse ridge which is adapted to engage files, letters or the like, diagrammatically indicated in dot and dash lines at 22 in Fig. 2 of the drawing and parts of which are illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing in the drawer which is shown partly extended. The inward projection 21 on the and these are not shown, as they are well known in the art and form no part of the present conception.

nite States Patent On the lower perpendicular portion 23 of the drawer front is attached a handle 24 facilitating movement of the drawer into opened and closed positions. On the angularly disposed wall portion 20 is attached the index card holder 25, in which the index card is mounted to distinguish one drawer from the other in the cabinet, or a series of cabinets, as shown. It will also be apparent that the holder 25 becomes more readily readable by virtue of its angular arrangement on the drawer front, here again, simplifying the selection of the particular drawer in a series of cabinets, as will be apparent.

By notching the side walls 13 and 14 of the cabinet casing, continuous grooves are provided throughout the series of cabinets employed, thus providing a greater exposure of light to the interior of the cabinet and also producing a neat and finished appearance in the resulting assemblage of cabinets, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. It will be apparent from a consideration of this figure that the cabinet casing conforms to the contour of the drawer fronts, the latter nesting flush with the forward edge portions of the cabinet casings, as with other cabinets of this type and kind.

It will also be apparent that the wall 19 forms a support upon which edge portions of files or letters can be supported, while said files or letters lean against the front of the cabinet in the operation of examining a file or group of letters withdrawn from the drawer.

While reference has been made to the use of the cabinets for filing of letters, files and the like, it will be apparent that cabinets of this type and kind can be utilized for storage of articles of any type or kind,

my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A cabinet of the character described, comprising a casing, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted in the casing and adapted to be extended with respect to the casing front, the drawers having fronts, the drawer fronts oining downwardly and outwardly offset walls in ridges in rearwardly inclined position, and said downwardly and outwardly extending walls of the drawer fronts having index card supporting means on the outer surface thereof and arranged within said grooves.

3. In cabinets of the character described, each cabinet comprising a casing having a plurality of vertically arranged drawers slidably mounted therein to extend with respect to the casing front, said cabinets being adapted to be disposed in side by side relationship in grouping a plurality of said cabinets, the side walls of the casings of each cabinet and each drawer front having alined uninterrupted horizontal grooves extending continuously throughout all cabinets and the drawer fronts when the latter are in closed position in said casings, the grooves of the drawer fronts being defined by inwardly and downwardly ofiset walls joining downwardly and outwardly ofiset walls in ridgesprojecting into the drawers, and said downwardly and outwardly offset walls of each drawer front forming a support tor an index card holder arranged within the groove of the drawer front.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

